[LM24] Cadillac Northstar LMP

[Jim Craik]

Hello,

My name is Jim Craik, a few months back, I purchased one of the six, 2000 Cadillac LMP carbon monocoques. This is chassis #00-002, one of the DAMS cars.

This chassis only ran in a few races during the 2000 season, it was one of the black Motorola cars, #4, 2000 Le Mans and was then damaged in a fire. The fire melted some of the carbon in the lower left, but per Riley & Scott, the alum core is not damaged and can be repaired.

What I have is the monocoque, with fuel cell, steering rack, master cylinders, firewall with engine mounts, shifter and all front suspention mounting brackets.

Does anyone here have have or know someone who has info/data on these cars, the other chassis and parts.

Thanks in advance, Jim

I have some photos in the Chassis History Archive section, but I cant figure out how to move them here, sorry.







.

[GT3.14]

Sounds like you have already been in contact with Riley & Scott. Have you contacted DAMS or any of the drivers, engineers, mechanics? Jon Fricker at Wayne Taylor Racing looks like a good person to start with. Perhaps Wayne Taylor as well.

http://www.waynetaylorracing.com/team/

Cool project!

[Jim Craik]

Originally Posted by GT3.14

Sounds like you have already been in contact with Riley & Scott. Have you contacted DAMS or any of the drivers, engineers, mechanics? Jon Fricker at Wayne Taylor Racing looks like a good person to start with. Perhaps Wayne Taylor as well.

http://www.waynetaylorracing.com/team/

Cool project!

Hi Racer,

I have not yet contacted Riley & Scott, the info I have is from a report made after the fire, Le Mans 2000. The team then kept 00-002 as a spare.

I have sent an email to DAMS, but I have not heard back. I also spoke to a guy in Apple Valley CA, who has 00-004.

My chassis only ran in the 2000 races and was the first body style with the large NACA ducts on each side.

As I understand most of the other cars were modified to 2001 spec, with a number of mods, including a different radiator location and slightly different bodywork.

The last ones, the 2002 cars were completely different.

[GT6]

Can't actually help but i did see them race in le mans and also have a scalectric set with the car,

[nobster]

Would be nice if you can get it restored, beautiful car it was!

[TheNo1F1Fan]

[JHamilton]

You should contact Mike Fuller or Mulsanne Mike. He's on here or the Mulsanne Corner Facebook page.

[JoestForEver]

Good to have enthusiastic people for that brilliant car. Nothing I can offer to help but all the best wishes are for you and the work!

[MulsanneMike]

Jim,

I laid that chassis up! Email me and I might be able to help you out.

mike@mulsannescorner.com

[Jim Craik]

Originally Posted by MulsanneMike

Jim,

I laid that chassis up! Email me and I might be able to help you out.

mike@mulsannescorner.com

Hi Mike,

I can't wait to talk to you, I have sent an Email....

[Maelochs]

Mr. Craik,

You realize that by having posted here you have now obligated yourself to posting a complete photo history of the rebuild ....

We are all eagerly awaiting news of progress on the project. Hope it is very satisfying for you and proceeds smoothly to completion.

[Lanky Turtle]

That's a very interesting chassis you've picked up. I remember watching Le Mans on TV that year and the car catching fire very early in the race and burning for a long time. I'm really surprised the chassis is still around.

Are you planning on restoring the car to running condition? I always wonder what happens to these cars once they are retired. I see a few of them turn up at vintage racing events but I'm sure a lot of them just end up in storage for many years.

[Jim Craik]

Originally Posted by JoestForEver

Good to have enthusiastic people for that brilliant car. Nothing I can offer to help but all the best wishes are for you and the work!

Thank you, that means alot....

Good luck next weekend!

[Jim Craik]

Although I live in the Silicon Valley, I'm sort of a 20th Century kind of guy.....

I have a couple of chassis photos in the Chassis History Archive section, but I can't figure out how to move them here, does anyone know the trick?

[Ephaeton]

You could just copy them here, such as ...



(from this post of Jim Craik)



(from that post of Jim Craik)

[Jim Craik]

Originally Posted by Ephaeton

You could just copy them here, such as ...



(from this post of Jim Craik)



(from that post of Jim Craik)

This is what we carried upstairs, its fairly compact, when on its side its not that hard to carry.

The roll over structure is a steel bar welded to a steel plate that bolts to six or seven studs set into the tub.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Ephaeton

You could just copy them here, such as ...



(from this post of Jim Craik)



(from that post of Jim Craik)

Is that a Ford GT in the background - is that your car as well?

[Jim Craik]

Originally Posted by Mal

Is that a Ford GT in the background - is that your car as well?

That is an SPF GT40, P/2264, built in South Africa 2008. It's a MKI with a Roush 302 and a ZF...

I've put over 40,000 miles on it and I just love her!

My wifes Cayman is silver with a 6 speed...

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Jim Craik

That is an SPF GT40, P/2264, built in South Africa 2008. It's a MKI with a Roush 302 and a ZF...

I've put over 40,000 miles on it and I just love her!

My wifes Cayman is silver with a 6 speed...

Nice - we almost have some common ground as I have an '06 GT

[BudLightJaguar]

Just watched a Youtube clip about Cadillac LMP. And I was surprised by the sound. Never heard it before so I thought it had a cross plane V8 sound muffled by the turbos. But it had an Audi R8 like (relatively) low revving flat plane sound.

[Jim Craik]

Hi Guys, thanks for the input....

A couple of things on the motor, I have read in several places that the motors were the smaller Olds Aurora blocks and that they were built up by "McLaren".

One other thing, in my investigation into these cars, I did read in at least one place, that these motors had a rather strange turbo set up. Per this one article, only six of the exaust pipes whent through the turbos, with two of them going straight into the exhaust. Could this be true?

I do not remember hearing this anywhere else......it seems like the kind of this we would have heard about.

I suppose it could help low end power and certinally would give a strange exaust sound.

Any thoughts?

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Jim Craik

Hi Guys, thanks for the input....

A couple of things on the motor, I have read in several places that the motors were the smaller Olds Aurora blocks and that they were built up by "McLaren".

I thought they were built by Ilmor, but Knighty says otherwise, so I don't know. My understanding was that these were the same or similar to the IRL engines which were the 4L. I'm not sure if the 3.5L "Shortstar" ever raced anywhere?

[JoestForEver]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

I thought they were built by Ilmor, but Knighty says otherwise, so I don't know. My understanding was that these were the same or similar to the IRL engines which were the 4L. I'm not sure if the 3.5L "Shortstar" ever raced anywhere?

I think IImor is the rebranding of Mclaren North American division, which produced M8F and M20 for Can-Am. Guys bailed them out after Mclaren withdrew.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Jim Craik

A couple of things on the motor, I have read in several places that the motors were the smaller Olds Aurora blocks and that they were built up by "McLaren".

McLaren Engines in Livonia, MI. They were purchased in 2003. The new company is http://www.linamar.com/technology. Hope this can help in a small way.

Great project Jim, and best of luck with it! Thanks for sharing.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, McLaren operated as a specialty prototype and niche vehicle fabrication and engine development and testing service.The Evolution of McLaren Performance Technologies in Action The Livonia, Michigan headquarters was a centre for turbocharged racing engines from 1000 hp Offenhausers to Cosworth V-8s, Buick V-6s for Indy/IMSA and compact 2 liter BMWs that produced up to 900 hp. In addition, McLaren built turbocharged V-8s in support of Cadillac's LeMans effort

.

[Jim Craik]

Originally Posted by Jim Craik

Hi Guys, thanks for the input....

A couple of things on the motor, I have read in several places that the motors were the smaller Olds Aurora blocks and that they were built up by "McLaren".

One other thing, in my investigation into these cars, I did read in at least one place, that these motors had a rather strange turbo set up. Per this one article, only six of the exaust pipes whent through the turbos, with two of them going straight into the exhaust. Could this be true?

I do not remember hearing this anywhere else......it seems like the kind of this we would have heard about.

I suppose it could help low end power and certinally would give a strange exaust sound.

Any thoughts?

I think I can put an end to the speculation about how many of the exhaust pipes go through the turbos....

The number is eight!

This is a photo of the new factory race motor I'm hoping to purchase. As you can see just inboard of the turbo, is a "pop off, pressure release valve. If the valve is removed, it does appear that "one" pipe bypasses the turbo....I'm sure this is how the rumor about the one pipe came about.

But it only looks that way, all eight pipes go through the turbos...



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